by Karla Ciaglo
HARTFORD, CT — Following the opening day of the 2026 legislative session, Gov. Ned Lamont’s midterm budget adjustments prompted criticism from education, transportation and healthcare advocates as the 2026 legislative session opened, even as administration officials defended the plan as fiscally restrained amid federal uncertainty.
According to the Office of Fiscal Analysis, the revised fiscal year 2027 proposal increases appropriations by $85.1 million, raising overall budget growth from 5.4% to 5.7% compared with fiscal year 2026. Total spending would reach $28.72 billion and remain about $1.1 million under the constitutional spending cap.
Office of Policy and Management Secretary Josh Wojcik on Wednesday had described the proposal as incremental rather than transformational.
“This is not a major rewrite,” Wojcik said, calling the changes a “modest refinement” layered onto the biennial budget adopted last year. He said the $85 million adjustment represents about 0.3% of total appropriations and leaves the budget balanced, with $25.8 billion in revenue, $25.47 billion in spending and a projected $3.8 million surplus after revenue reductions largely tied to tax relief.
Urban school leaders said the proposal does not keep pace with rising education costs. The Connecticut Association of Urban Superintendents, representing more than 20 districts, said the $10 million increase in Education Cost Sharing funding falls short of inflation and fails to address funding stagnation dating back more than a decade.
The group said the budget adds no ECS weighting for special education students, does not fully fund special education excess cost reimbursement and allows Regional Education Service Center magnet schools to raise tuition. The association warned the change could shift millions of dollars in costs to sending districts, estimating New Britain Public Schools alone could face an additional $2 million.
Wojcik acknowledged education cost pressures but pointed to prior investments already built into the biennial budget, including $80 million in new special education funding.
“Despite these investments, the cost of education remains a challenge for local school districts,” Wojcik said, adding that the administration plans to convene a blue-ribbon commission to develop a long-term K–12 funding strategy.
The School and State Finance Project raised similar concerns. Executive Director Lisa Hammersley said the proposal effectively flat-funds ECS aid for roughly 95% of districts and risks shifting education costs to municipalities while reducing magnet school funding.
The revised budget includes $12.5 million to fund universal free school breakfast and eliminate reduced-price meal copayments. State Sen. Ceci Maher, chair of the Senate Committee on Children, praised the move but urged lawmakers to go further.
“If our state funds universal school breakfasts, it’s not a huge leap from there to do the same with school lunches,” Maher said. “The benefits from such an expansion would be measurable.”
Transportation advocate Sara-Jessica Dilks, a spokesperson for Via Transportation, said the services could wind down without legislative action.
“Without action in the final budget, CT microtransit programs in towns including Norwalk, Stamford and New Haven could wind down, leaving an estimated 10,000 riders every week without critical transportation connections,” Dilks said.
Hospital leaders also objected to proposed provider tax changes. The Connecticut Hospital Association said the proposal would add $100 million in new hospital taxes in fiscal year 2027.
“The care Connecticut depends on is at risk under this proposed budget,” said Jennifer Jackson, the association’s chief executive officer, citing Medicaid underpayment and rising operating costs.
Wojcik said the changes are intended to comply with updated federal law, pairing the tax increase with $140 million in Medicaid supplemental payments.
“We believe this results in a net gain to hospitals,” Wojcik said, estimating a $40 million overall benefit and a $53 million net gain to the state after federal matching funds. Hospital executives disputed that assessment, citing continued Medicaid underpayment and workforce pressures.
The proposal also eliminates the Office of Health Strategy, transferring its functions to other agencies. Wojcik said the change would streamline oversight and refocus certificate-of-need reviews on major transactions rather than routine equipment purchases.